Air Traffic Control data links presently use two generally incompatible technologies, Future Air Navigation System (FANS), which is used in oceanic and remote airspace, and Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN), which is used in continental Europe and potentially in other congested domestic environments. Typically, an aircraft system is either equipped with the FANS data link technology and associated operator interface, or the ATN data link technology and associated operator interface.
Although desirable results have been achieved using such prior art systems, there may be room for improvement. For example, the incompatible nature of these systems and the current capability to implement only a single data link technology on an aircraft preclude the aircraft from having both types of air traffic control data link available for use during different phases of a flight. Moreover, because FANS and ATN technologies utilize different operator interfaces, aircrews must be trained in both systems rather than in a single system. Therefore, novel systems and methods which minimize training time and facilitate the use of multiple air traffic control data link technologies during different phases of a flight would be highly desirable.